The requirements of the international environmental management standard ISO 14001 form an integral part of the EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) environmental management system. However, EMAS goes beyond ISO 14001 by placing particular emphasis on measurable environmental improvements, transparency, legal compliance, and continuous performance enhancement.
The aim of EMAS is to continuously improve an organisation’s environmental performance, for example through increased energy and resource efficiency, and by reducing emissions, wastewater, and waste generation.
In addition to these direct environmental aspects, EMAS also considers indirect environmental impacts. These include areas such as the environmental compatibility of products and services, procurement practices, the environmental behaviour of contractors and suppliers, and even employee commuting.
A key element of EMAS is transparency. Organisations publish and annually update an Environmental Statement, providing information on their environmental impacts and reporting on the progress made towards their environmental objectives.
Employees play an important role in the process. EMAS organisations actively involve their staff and encourage participation in the continuous improvement of environmental performance.
Furthermore, EMAS requires organisations to demonstrate that they are aware of and comply with all applicable environmental legislation. Compliance is verified through a combination of internal audits, conducted by the organisation’s own trained personnel, and independent external assessments carried out by accredited environmental verifiers.
These external experts review the environmental management system, verify compliance with legal requirements, and validate the Environmental Statement, confirming that the information provided is accurate, reliable, and complete.
The combination of internal controls and external validation ensures that EMAS organisations maintain high environmental standards while providing transparent and credible information to employees, guests, customers, and the wider public.
